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Columbia Central and Michigan State University graduate Katie Powell was named as the Miss Jackson Crossroads pageant on Saturday at Western High School. She will represent Jackson County at the Michigan Miss America pageant next June. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV News. By Jeff Steers JTV News (August 7, 2021 9:42 PM) Columbia Central High School graduate Katie Powell stemmed the tide at the Miss Jackson Crossroads pageant on Saturday at Western High School. The Michigan State University graduate will represent Jackson County in the Michigan Miss America Pageant next June. Powell is a microbiology graduate and will use inspiring girls to blossom through STEM (an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math) as her social impact initiative in the coming year.  Powell earned a $2,000 educational scholarship for winning the crown and will represent Jackson at numerous events until next August.  She also won the talent competition with a tap dance routine. Megan Albert won the Emily Sioma Community Service Award and a $200 educational scholarship and was the second runner-up for a $500 scholarship and Jade Sayles was the first runner-up earning a $750 scholarship.  Elly LeCursi of Saline will represent Jackson as the Miss…

At the Jackson County Courthouse, (left to right) Judge Harvey Hoffman and Judge Susan Jordan present Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey with the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals’ President’s Award for his support of Andy’s Place.  Photo by Sara Scaife, JTV. (August 6, 2021 3:56 PM) The Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals (MATCP), yesterday presented the President’s Award to Senator Mike Shirkey for his commitment to and support for Andy’s Place.  Andy’s Place is the first of several permanent supportive recovery housing projects planned in Michigan to address recovery holistically. Instead of leaving jail and heading to rehab or probation, justice-involved patients and their families are offered one of 39 one-bedroom apartments at Andy’s Place, along with a separate building with 11 two-bedroom apartments to house families. This housing provides a key component to successful recovery by providing the opportunity to keep families together in a safe environment. Residents at Andy's Place are referred by treatment courts in Jackson, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Calhoun, and Ingham counties. “Everyone is but one degree of separation from someone who has needed help overcoming hardships like addiction,” Shirkey said. “I am humbled by this recognition because it stands as proof of the positive…

(August 6, 2021 10:30 AM) Michigan’s U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced that the Summit Township Fire Department will receive an $83,103 grant to install a Source Capture Exhaust System. This federal grant comes from the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The objectives of the AFG Program are to provide critically needed resources that equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.  Source Capture Exhaust Systems are designed to capture and remove exhaust fumes directly from the tailpipes of fire apparatus vehicles while in the station. "Our firefighters in Summit Township put their lives on the line to protect our families, homes, and communities," said Senator Stabenow. "These new resources will give our first responders the equipment they need to better serve the public and do their jobs more safely and effectively.” “It is critical that firefighters and first responders have the resources necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “This grant will provide the Summit Township Fire Department with critical equipment to ensure their firefighters can continue protecting…

(August 6, 2021 9:20 AM) Amtrak has scheduled maintenance work where streets cross the railroad at the following locations: 1) Blackstone Street between Glick Highway and Trail Street; 2) Steward Avenue between Wildwood and Trail Street; and 3) Wisner Street between Wildwood and Ganson and Wildwood Avenue between Ganson and Daniel. The work is scheduled to commence on or about August 16, 2021 and will be performed in the order listed above. While the rail crossings are under construction, the streets will be closed to through traffic. The streets will be closed to all traffic at the rail crossings. Work is expected to take three to four days at each of the three locations. The entire project is expected to take about two weeks to complete. Street closure barricades and detour signing will be in place during each closure. Blackstone traffic will be detoured along Glick to Martin Luther King Jr Drive to Ganson route and vice versa. No detour will be provided for Steward Avenue as the subject section of that street is already closed for a utility and street reconstruction project by the City of Jackson. Wildwood and Wisner traffic will be detoured along Ganson to West Avenue…

(August 5, 2021 10:28 AM) Beginning Monday, August 9, 2021, South West Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Kibby Road and High Street. This street closure is for sewer replacement at the intersection of South West Avenue and Douglas Street. The work to reconstruct the sewers and restore the pavement within the intersection is scheduled to take approximately two weeks to complete. During the closure period, West Avenue between Kibby and High will be closed to through traffic. Advance warning and detour route signing will be erected to direct traffic around the construction zone along a Griswold Street to Fourth Street to High Street route and vice versa. The closed section of West Avenue will remain open only for residents to access their homes and patrons and employees to access businesses within the work zone.